Dominick Layfield's Bio

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I loved this shoe. Light, well-cushioned, unstructured. Does well on road and trail. Low-drop (3mm) without going all the way to zero. My only real criticism is that the shoe seems to run a little short: my big toe was brushing the end of the shoe. In practice this didn't prove a problem for me, but if you have toenail issues, or if your foot is on the long side of a shoe size, you might want to size up.

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I've used this in a bunch of ultra-running races. Executive summary: it's excellent.

I like the exposed hatch on Camelbak packs because it enables rapid refills without removing the bladder from the pack. This version covers the hatch with a couple of zippers which are pointless and somewhat annoying. Other Camelbak packs (like the Classic) just have a lightly elasticated flap that hooks over the hatch and is easier to operate. However, this is a small quibble, and everything else is great. The biggest win is that the liquid doesn't slosh around when you run. In this respect the pack is better than every other brand of hydration pack that I've ever used. The elasticated pouch at the bottom of the pack is very handy for stowing gear quickly. Pockets on the front of the pack are smallish (not designed for water bottles) but great for gels, phone etc.

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I'll be upfront: I got a pair of these shoes in March 2013 as a gift. I didn't pay them much attention at first, as this sort of shoe is not really my taste. I like lighter, more stripped-down shoes like the Montrail Rogue Fly and FluidFlex. The heaviest shoes I normally run in are Brooks Pure Grit. Instead, I started wearing these as casual shoes for walking around town.

However, one day I got to the trailhead and found that I'd left my running shoes behind, and went for a run using these. I guess I've been using minimal shoes for too long, because it was a revelation! I was able to charge down rocky trails without any real concern for how I placed my feet. These have a ton of cushioning, and I really enjoyed the contrast, the comfort, and the freedom to relax.

The shoe is similar in feel and protection to the Brooks Cascadia. Plenty of midfoot support, and a reasonably roomy toe box.

These are not shoes that I would wear in races, but they are still reasonably light -- very light for the cushioning they provide. However, they make an awesome training shoe, and I have taken to wearing mine a couple of runs per week. They are very pleasant to wear on extra rocky trails, or when my feet feel tired, and need a rest.

I have run almost exclusively in Montrail shoes over the last few years. I thought the Rogue Racer was a breakthrough in providing great feel and cushioning at an astonishingly light weight. The Rogue Fly, which I also loved, felt like an incremental improvement, shaving a little weight with no discernible loss of performance. I wore both shoes in 20+ trail races. My only criticism was that the forefoot protection felt just a little too minimal (not comfortable over sharp rocks!) and the heel stack felt just a little too high.

Maybe Montrail were listening to me. Or maybe they got the same feedback from a lot of athletes. Because the FluidFlex is an *awesome* shoe that remedies these issues. The forefoot sole is thicker and provides more protection, but still retains remarkably good trail feel. The heel is dropped slightly, giving a flatter, lower-profile, more stable platform. And the weight remains feather-light, not discernibly different to the Rogue Fly.

After using the shoes in only a couple of training runs, I felt comfortable enough to race a 50k in them, and a 50-miler two weeks later.